Fence



(No Model.)

B. 0. SAUNDERS.

FENCE.

No. 363,685. Patented May 24, 1887.

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'ROBERT C. SAUNDERS, OF EVINGTON, VIRGINIA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 368,685, dated May 24-, 1887.

Application filed October 14, 1886. Serial No. 216.199. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT C. SAUNDERS, acitizen of the United States, residing at Evington, in the county of Campbell and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Fences; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to fences, and particularly to those used upon farms.

The object of the invention is to produce a fence which shall be cheaper, stronger, more easily made, and more impervious to the passage of stock than fences now in use. Furthermore, the objectis to utilize pickets winch may be of any shape or size, thus rendering the use of natural sticks or of pieces of wood of various forms possible.

With these objects in view my invention consists, essentially, in a fence composed of thin strips, bands, or ribbons of metal, like band or hoop iron, provided with holes a short distance apart and in pairs, through which holes passes ordinary flexible wire bent, twisted, tied, or laced, inclosing pickets and binding them to the strips, the strips being stretched along and supported upon posts or stakes, to which they are attached.

Furthermore, the invention consists in a fence composed of strips or hands of metal having pickets attached thereto, the fence being rendered sinuous or serpentine in form by braces at intervals pulling upon the bands and bending the same laterally and on both sides.

I have illustrated the invention in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents an embodiment of my 1nvention in which the fence has a sinuous form. Fig. 2 represents a fence made in accordance with my invention and provided with a moditied form of post. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing another form of post which may be used. Fig. 4 is a detached sectional view showing the loop for binding thepicket to the strips or hands continuously. Fig 1s a perspective view showing means of o1n1ng adjacent sections of the "strlps or hands, and Fig. 6 is a sectional view showing a continuous wire used for fastening pickets to the bands or strips.

In the drawings, A represents the post, which is placed at what may be termed the starting-point of the fence. From this initial post are stretched the strips orbands B,which are thin strips, bands, or ribbons of metal, like hoop or band iron, and are provided along their entire length with holes situated a short distance apart-say an in ch-and are arranged in pairs. Through these holes is passed the wire 0, which ineloses and binds the pickets D to the metal strips.

By preference I use a single piece of wire for each picket, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4; but inasmuch as each alternate picketis arranged upon opposite sides of the strips of metal, I may use one or two continuous wires to bind the pickets in place. The pickets may be arranged each upon the opposite sides of the strips to the adjacent one, and thus when the picket-s rest on the ground acomparatively broad frame-brace for the support of the fence is made; andI have found that with the initial post such as shown in Fig. 1 ofthe drawings, and from which the strips are stretched, the fence may be built for any distance without requiring further strengthening to make it perfectly stable than stakes placed at certain intervals and driven a short distance into the ground.

In Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings I have shown forms of posts which may be used, if desired, for the initial post or for supporting the fence at intervals along its length.

Sometimes it is desirable to make the fence sinuous in form. This may be accomplished by the means shown in Fig. 1. attaching wire or braces F to pegs or posts driven into the ground and exerting sufficient force to bend the fence from a straight line. This forms a serpentine fence, and one which is perfectly self-supporting.

From the foregoing it will be clear that the pickets in my fence may be of any form, and that it is not required that they have any flat surfaees,as would be necessaryin a fence where the pickets were nailed, stapled, or screwed on, as the wires which hold the pickets to the bands will readily adapt themselves to any form of picket. This enables brush and waste wood to be used when out to the proper length. Inasmuch as natural wood is much more durable than dressed wood, a very durable andin- It consists in expensive fence may be make by using pickets of natural wood to make the greater part of the fence as contemplated by my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A fence consisting of thin strips, bands, or ribbons of metal, like hoop or band iron,

provided with holes at short intervals and in pairs, supporting-posts along which the bands are stretched, pickets, and ordinary flexible wire, the pickets being attached to the bands by'the wire passing through the openings therein, being bent, twisted, tied, or laced upon the pickets, inclosing them and holding or lashing them to the bands, substantially as shown and described.

2. A fence consisting of metallic bands, pickets attached thereto, and braces pulling upon the bands at opposite sides and bending 2:

ROBERT o. SAUNDERS.

Witnesses:

CECIL J. DENTON, WM. HIoKsoN. 

